Getting your Garage in Gear

Last month’s column featured 10 spring-cleaning tips for improving your home’s curb appeal. This month I offer 10 tips for improving the appearance and function of what can easily become the most unsightly room in your home: the garage.

A transitional space between indoors and out, garages can quickly become catchall spaces. That, coupled with the fact that debris is liable to blow in every time you open your garage door, means that garages are often dusty and dirty. Hopefully, these tips will help you get your garage in gear – even if there is currently no space in it for your car.

1. First, downsize. It’s not the most fun task, but it sure feels good when you are finished. Give away, throw away and donate anything that you have not used or repaired in the last year.

2. If your garage is still too crowded to move through it and work in it comfortably, consider a shed to hold larger items like bikes, wheelbarrows and the like.

3. Determine what you need to be able to store and/or accomplish in your garage and establish zones for each. Placement is key; if you want a potting shed in your garage, locate it near a door to the exterior.

4. If your garage is quite full, look up. Maybe you can hang bikes from ceiling-mounted racks or hoist them overhead on a pulley system. Or perhaps you can also install ceiling-mounted racks that install above garage doors for those infrequently used items such as holiday decorations. Be sure you hit studs when attaching these types of systems.

5. Also look down. Epoxy paint is popular among homeowners as a floor covering to resist stains and chemicals. To ensure that the paint will stick, you will need to power wash the floor and then apply an etching product before painting if a drop of water beads on the floor. As an alternative, rubber floor tiles are also popular: They hide a lot of wear, are comfortable underfoot and provide sound insulation.

6. Closed cabinets are nice for garage spaces because the doors keep out dust and debris. However, if that is not an option, clear bins with lids stored on open shelves is the next best option. Clear bins prevent the need for labeling and relabeling as the contents change.

7. Most homeowners find some kind of work surface, like a workbench, to be almost a required feature of their garage. Pegboard above puts tools and other supplies within easy reach. While you are at it, a potting bench also is nice.

8. New garage doors can be expensive, but if your home came with solid garage doors, replacing them with windowed doors will transform a dank and foreboding space into a light-infused work space. They can also dramatically enhance the appearance of your home from the exterior, as there are many stylish designs on the market nowadays.

9. The bare bulb mounted high on the ceiling of most garages is not adequate for all that goes on in these hardworking spaces. As in a kitchen, task lighting will make your garage a far more functional, safe and satisfying place to be.

10. Air temperature is another factor that contributes to your garage’s functionality. A ceiling-mounted, gas-fired, forced-air unit is sometimes desirable in winter, and a cooling unit – say a window unit or a portable AC unit – is helpful in summer if you spend many hours in your garage. Check with an expert, as ventilation and safety are key.

As you transform your garage, feel free to reach out with questions – and with solutions – that have worked for you at chris@vbhomesliving.com.

Chris Ettel is founding partner of VB Homes. He serves on the Tidewater Builders Association board of directors,was past chairman of the TBA Remodelers Council and is a longtime board member of the Virginia Beach Public Schools Education Foundation. For more information, visit www.vbhomesliving.com.

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